Dr. Jody C Baumgartner is the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of political science at East Carolina University. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Miami University in 1998, specializing in the study of campaigns and elections. He has authored or edited numerous books, journal articles and book chapters, individually or in collaboration with others, on political humor, the vice presidency, and other subjects.

Baumgartner and his wife have two daughters, aged 11 and 13. He enjoys cycling, travelling, and, his pop/rock band 28 West can be seen playing in a variety of local venues.

“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” (Abraham Lincoln)

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” (Theodore Roosevelt)

“Give me a one-handed economist! All my economists say, “On the one hand …on the other hand…” (Harry Truman)

“I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of a national emergency—even if I’m in a Cabinet meeting.” (Ronald Reagan)

“Being president is like running a cemetery: You’ve got a lot of people under you, and nobody’s listening.” (Bill Clinton)

International Studies programs at ECU help prepare students for success in an increasingly globalized society. Undergraduate students may choose to complete a minor, major, or Global Understanding Certificate program

Graduate students may pursue a master’s degree in International Studies, a certificate in International Management, or a certificate in International Teaching.

These multidisciplinary programs provide students at all levels with the opportunity to become more familiar with the social, political, cultural, and economic issues of importance. International Studies programs prepare students to work in a wide range of careers, including multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and development organizations, among others.

Contact Dr. Marie Olson Lounsbery (Olsonlounsberym@ecu.edu) for more information.

Dr. Kassab and Baumgartner’s research on pandemic-related cartoons, titled “Critic or Cheerleader? Editorial Cartoons during the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic,” has been accepted for publication in Newspaper Research Journal.

Abstract: An examination of editorial cartoons from a prominent syndication service about the Coronavirus pandemic during the first six months finds that subjects and topics followed developments in the spread of the pandemic and public health and safety responses and mirrored those found in news coverage. More, messages generally reflected largely consensual establishment views of the crisis and official health and safety responses. Cartoonists seemed to adopt the role of cheerleader for government policy and efforts to grapple with the pandemic.

(Cartoon from Cagle.com)

With co-author Jacquelyn Lee, Dr. Dennis McCunney recently published research on “the role of public institutions in promoting civic learning” in the journal New Directions for Higher Education. 

From the abstract: Democracy requires an informed populous that is engaged, politically, and otherwise, and concerned for the safety and wellbeing of its communities. Public institutions of higher education play a pivotal role in democracy, and a direct pathway to this result is civic learning and democratic engagement (CLDE). Now more than ever, a sharper focus on the ways in which equity and inclusion – dimensions of civic courage – intersect with education for democracy is of paramount importance. To underscore the role of public institutions in promoting civic learning, this chapter explores the historic roots of education for democracy, student affairs and co-curricular approaches to CLDE, and the role of professional organizations in encouraging CLDE. Challenges and opportunities related to increasing institutional attention to civic learning are discussed.

See: https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20415

In a new TED talk, former member of the US House of Representatives Ric Keller (2001-2009) talks about the power of self-deprecating humor. In the talk he discusses Morris & Baumgartner’s research showing that evaluations of former NJ Governor Chris Christie were raised as the result of him poking fun at himself.

From all of us at the Dept. of Political Science to all of you spring 2022 grads, CONGRATULATIONS!

Best of luck moving forward, and, please stay in touch.

Spring semester, 2022: All the hard work, study, worry, etc., officially over – done. Congratulations to all! From the Dept. of Pol. Science to all of you, please have a terrific summer.

Some of you we’ll see again in the fall. To all of the grads, congratulations, and thanks for sharing your time with us. Best of luck in all your future endeavors, and please, stay in touch.

FUTURE STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Landon Blacknall is prepared to further his education and career in politics
BY LACEY L. GRAY

East Carolina University senior Landon Kyle Blacknall aspires to become a state representative and professor, using his experiences at ECU to continue his education and love of politics.

Blacknall has been awarded six years of funding to pursue his doctoral degree in government and politics at the University of Maryland.

The Charlotte native, whose hobbies include politics, sports and reading, is a member of the College Democrats at ECU, serving the past three years as president and helping to register voters, campaign for local political candidates and participate in debates. He will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and a minor in communication.

Blacknall credits his father, Rodney, and his elementary school teacher, Jason Weiss, as influential figures who piqued his interest in political science.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3LIxLBv

The modern legend of the Loch Ness Monster is born when a sighting makes local news on May 2, 1933. The newspaper Inverness Courier relates an account of a local couple who claim to have seen “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface.” The story of the “monster” (a moniker chosen by the Courier editor) becomes a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending correspondents to Scotland and a circus offering a 20,000 pound sterling reward for capture of the beast.

After the April 1933 sighting was reported in the newspaper on May 2, interest steadily grew, especially after another couple claimed to have seen the animal on land.

Amateur investigators have for decades kept an almost constant vigil, and in the 1960s several British universities launched sonar expeditions to the lake. Nothing conclusive was found, but in each expedition the sonar operators detected some type of large, moving underwater objects. In 1975, another expedition combined sonar and underwater photography in Loch Ness. A photo resulted that, after enhancement, appeared to show what vaguely resembled the giant flipper of an aquatic animal.

Further sonar expeditions in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in more inconclusive readings. Revelations in 1994 that the famous 1934 photo was a complete hoax has only slightly dampened the enthusiasm of tourists and investigators for the legendary beast of Loch Ness.

From: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history